We’ve done plenty of surveys, formal and informal, to know that VARs don’t historically put much emphasis on PCI with customers. It seems like many choose to take the path of “the software I sell is PCI compliant — I think — so me and my customers are good.” That might be true for some, but it’s not true for all. While I can’t stress to you the importance of PCI compliance, I also can’t seem to convince some to make it a higher priority.

Bounce Imaging, founded by an MIT alumnus in 2012, is helping law enforcement assess danger in unseen areas with its new device, the Explorer. Now, the Boston-based startup will be deploying 100 of the new gadgets to police departments nationwide, and it aims to expand to first responders and other security clients in the near future, according to MIT News. By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Learning to create patient-centered solutions and respect clinician needs should be central to your health IT solutions provider’s development goals. Unfortunately, it’s entirely too easy to roll from one successful project to the next without implementing the lessons and perspectives garnered in the process.

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VARs and managed services providers (MSPs) who choose to sell compliance audits have one great advantage: Compliance, by definition, is mandatory. That in itself gives companies an incentive to purchase, and creates opportunities for resellers and MSPs to build their businesses. Resellers need to decide which market to pursue, and need to inform businesses exactly what they have to lose if they are found non-compliant by the bodies that govern these mandates.

Small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) are faced with an ever-growing list of technological challenges. A few of those challenges are keeping IT systems humming, deciding which technologies to invest in, and keeping up with the latest technological developments that impact their business.

As the cloud continues to displace locally installed and managed solutions, businesses need experts to help them strategically use technology in a way that improves the efficiency of their business operations. While smart techs who’ve mastered the wizardry of registry keys and quirky Microsoft technology are able to now turn their attention to the equally opaque world of APIs and policies, smart MSPs are adding skills not often seen in technology teams in the small and medium business market: business analysts who combine high level knowledge of complex technology with an understanding of business needs.

With less than two months to the Europay MasterCard Visa (EMV) liability shift begins, many businesses accepting credit and debit cards are either scrambling to become EMV compliant or are not prepared. Rest assured the sun will rise the day after the liability shift goes into effect Oct. 1, 2015 and those businesses that have not implemented EMV will still be able to accept payments. If your merchant client is one of those business owners who is not ready, here are some short-terms actions you can take.

Over the past 10 years we have seen the merging of two previously distinct businesses ‐‐‐ payment processing and retail software. Organizations such as Mercury Payments, Accelerated Payments and PayPros (now openedge), Braintree and Stripe have not only captured attention with major headlines but also massive financial valuations. Interestingly, much of the heavy lifting associated with the success of these organizations was performed by technology providers, software vendors and value added resellers (VARs).

Partnering as an IT solutions provider with the small and medium business client is the sole focus of many integrators and MSPs (managed services providers). Though SMBs have many of the same needs as bigger firms, they are usually less tech savvy, have fewer resources and a less strategic view of their IT. So they are looking to you for three things.

In the ultimate move toward self-leadership in the workplace, Zappos (among others) recently announced they were eliminating managers in an effort to keep things less corporate. In a movement called holacracy, teams are expected to know what needs to get done and do it, focusing on the relationships rather than the individual to meet objectives.

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Worldpay US, a division of The Worldpay Group, provides and develops industry-leading payments processing products and services to ISV/VARs and merchants large and small. Verticals include retail, grocery, petroleum, restaurant, and many others. Innovation and investment allow Worldpay to continue to offer a secure and reliable payments platform.

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Welcome to BSMinfo, the online presence of Business Solutions magazine. If you are a value-added reseller (VAR), systems integrator, managed services provider (MSP), or independent software vendor (ISV), this is the site for you! Whether here online or in each month's issue of the magazine, we strive to deliver actionable information you can use to add complementary technologies to your portfolio and penetrate thriving vertical markets.